Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2: Who has the edge in heavyweight title rematch?

Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2: full fight card

• Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury – for WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight titles
• Serhii Bohachuk vs Ishmael Davis – light middleweight
• Moses Itauma vs Demsey McKean – heavyweight
• Johnny Fisher vs Dave Allen – heavyweight
• Isaac Lowe vs Lee McGregor – featherweight
• Daniel Lapin vs Dylan Colin – light-heavyweight
• Andrii Novytskyi vs Edgar Ramirez – heavyweight

Saturday night, we see a huge heavyweight championship rematch in Riyadh, as Oleksandr Usyk puts his WBA, WBC, and WBO world titles on the line against former champ Tyson Fury. And we've compiled your one-stop guide for everything you need to know in the lead up including the full fight week schedule and the Usyk vs Fury 2 preview show to get you excited ahead of fight night. 

It’s the heavyweight title rematch the boxing world has been waiting for since their thrilling first meeting went the distance and left the judges split on the verdict. Usyk got the nod on that occasion but can he repeat the feat this time or will Fury dramatically return to the heavyweight throne?

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Tale of the tape: Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2

Oleksandr Usyk: Will The Cat prove too accurate again in title rematch?

Usyk heads into the fight wondering whether to stick or twist. The tactics he deployed in their first meeting proved to be good enough to win the fight but will they work as well again in the rematch? The key differentiating factor between the pair was Usyk’s speed and accuracy.

The official punch stats from Compubox reported that Fury threw 496 punches compared to Usyk’s 407, but when it came to accuracy and punches landed, the Ukrainian was noticeably more successful, with Usyk landing 41.8% of his shots, compared to The Gypsy King’s 31.7%.

It meant that, in a closely contested bout, Usyk actually outlanded Fury by 170 punches to 157. That sort of efficiency in his own work, while defending effectively to nullify Fury’s flurries, could prove vital again in the rematch.

Tyson Fury: Could a change of tactics produce a different result?

In an unusual turn of events for the big Englishman, Fury found himself outboxed by Usyk in their first encounter. It was arguably the first time he’d truly been outmatched in pure boxing terms, as the punch stats from Compubox spelt out.

Knowing that he’s likely to find Usyk every bit as sharp as he was in their first meeting, Fury may look to switch things up for the rematch. 

He could come in lighter and look to be faster and more mobile, or he could load up and look to accentuate his heavier weight to land bigger, heavier shots at the expense of movement. Either way, he’ll need to lean one way or the other to prevent a repeat of the first fight.

We’ll learn more about which direction he goes when we see him at the media workouts during the week and then at the weigh-ins on Friday. But, as the defeated fighter from the first fight, the onus is on Fury to make changes. It’ll be fascinating to see how differently, if at all, he approaches the rematch.

Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2: The key factors

As we saw from their first bout, Usyk and Fury are incredibly well-matched, and with the scorecards being as close as they were (115-112, 113-114, 114-113), the tactical battle between the pair offers a fascinating narrative for their rematch.

Could a mid-late rounds stoppage where the value lies? In a contest that is primed to be every bit as cagey and intense as May’s first fight, FIRST explored some of the markets that could give you the edge as Fury aims to steal back the titles at the first time of asking. 

Some may feel that Usyk should adopt an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach, but with Fury likely to come into the rematch with a tweaked gameplan from the first fight, It should effectively reset the matchup and give us, potentially, a different-looking fight to their first encounter.

Aside from the tactical battle, a look at the key factors in play starts to lean things towards the defending champion. While their overall work rate was comparable, the first fight showed that Usyk possesses the faster hands, the better defence and superior accuracy. 

While Fury is the bigger, heavier man with the more prolific knockout rate on his record, it was Usyk’s power that showed up big in the first fight, as he put The Gypsy King on skates and forced him to take a standing eight-count in the ninth round 

No two fights are the same, but there’s certainly plenty of potential for a very similar result the second time around.

FIRST’s top tip for Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2

I think Fury will need to produce the performance of his career to win the rematch, and even then, Usyk may still prove to be a cut above. 

The Ukrainian had Fury badly hurt in their first fight and that knowledge, for both men, could be a big factor in this fight. 

While I don’t expect Usyk to go for the finish, he knows he can hurt Fury. Fury knows it too and may be more wary as a result. I think a repeat victory on the scorecards looks like the best bet, with Usyk an attractive-looking 7/4 shot to get it done by decision.

PICK: OLEKSANDR USYK TO WIN BY DECISION – 7/4 (BetMGM)

Extra tips

Given that I’ve gone with Usyk to win the bout on the scorecards, the options for related prop or acca bets is relatively limited. However, there is one bet that offers some interesting value.

Usyk is 9/1 (BetMGM) to be knocked down and win. While I don’t think Fury will drop the Ukrainian with a head shot, we have seen Usyk troubled when he’s hit to the body.

Daniel Dubois famously dropped him with a big body shot that landed right on the borderline of what was considered a low blow or not. It was ruled low and Usyk had plenty of time to recover before stopping Dubois, but the punch was far from a groin shot and exposed a possible weakness in the champion.

If Fury looks to invest in the body during the bout in a bid to slow Usyk’s movement, there’s a chance that one well-placed liver shot could send Usyk down to one knee and the 9/1 odds available make it a fun side bet that will stay alive for the full duration of the fight.

If you’re leaning towards Fury as the winner, the odds on him to be knocked down and win are an even more tempting 10/1 (BetMGM).

Odds correct at the time of writing.